Psychodynamic university counseling: which factors predict psychological functioning after intervention?

Anna Maria Speranza; Costanza Franchini; Maria Quintigliano; Silvia Andreassi; Mara Morelli; Silvia Cerolini; Chiara Petrocchi; Alexandro Fortunato

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1134510

Psychodynamic university counseling: which factors predict psychological functioning after intervention?

Front Psychol. 2023 May 10:14:1134510. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1134510. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Anna Maria Speranza¹, Costanza Franchini¹, Maria Quintigliano¹, Silvia Andreassi¹, Mara Morelli¹, Silvia Cerolini², Chiara Petrocchi³, Alexandro Fortunato¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
² Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
³ Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Abstract

Introduction: University counseling centers represent important resources for personal development, and students are increasingly turning to them for help. The present study aimed at, first, evaluating changing in psychological functioning before and after a university counseling intervention and, second, exploring which psychological variables predicted the intervention outcome.

Methods: For this purpose, 122 students who attended university counseling services were administered measures to assess personality traits, and measures to assess state variables - intended as contextual, rather than stable, alterations in functioning - such as anxiety, hopelessness and depression. Several Linear Mixed Models were performed to measure the differences between OQ-45 scores before and after the intervention (one for each OQ dimension and OQ total score); then, two steps of multiple regression analyses were performed.

Results: Significative reductions between pre-test and post-test OQ-45 scores were found, highlighting increased levels of well-being; personality traits seem not to be predictive of the intervention outcome, while state variables significantly contribute to the psychological wellbeing improvement after counseling intervention.

Discussion: Our findings highlight the importance of paying attention to the role of affective difficulties in predicting the counseling effectiveness.

Keywords: affective problems; anxiety; depression; effectiveness; personality; university counseling; university students; young people.